Five Years Later
by Melface
Summary: [Story discontinued. Account no longer in use.]
1. It All Begins Again

Sunlight came through the window, right onto the face of the sleeping person inside. Blue eyes opened, narrowing in annoyance at the interruption. However, more followed.

Several knocks sounded on the door. "Mel?" Adam's voice. "Come on, we're gonna be late!"

Oh golly . . . Kara's bed, across the room, was already empty.

Mel bolted upright. "Yeah, I'm coming."

¤

Two minutes later, she came out of her room, fastening her belt around her waist. Adam was waiting for her.

"Seth awake yet?" she asked, flickingher hair back over her shoulder.

Adam rolled his eyes. "No, I can't get him up. If we're late for the conference, Ailaena's going to -"

"Relax, _I'll_ go wake him up," Mel assured him, slipping into the room Seth and Adam shared.

"You're braver than I am," the thief muttered, continuing down the hall.

¤

Seth was lying on his stomach, mouth slightly open. Kneeling down next to his bed, Mel carefully pushed a piece of dark hair back from his face. Five years ago, just after their defeat of the Megalith, Mel would have had Draykor just blast sound into Seth's ear. But this time, she had something better in mind.

Crossing her legs, Mel leaned forward. "Seth . . . time to get up," she called softly.

Gray eyes opened slowly, to see a pair of bright blue eyes barely an inch away. Seth bolted upright, knocking his head against the shelf over his bed.

"Ow . . ."

Mel laughed slightly. "Genius," she said, getting to her feet. "C'mon, we're supposed to be meeting with Ailaena today."

Seth collapsed back on his bed, one hand over his eyes. "Too late. You made me break my skull!" He took the hand from his eyes, flashing a slightly evil smile. "And for that, you're going to pay, my friend!"

Rolling out of bed, he caught her hand, pulling her back into the room, and started tickling.

"Seth - " the rest of Mel's words got cut off as she tried to breathe.

The two fell backwards,landing safely on Seth's bed. Mel managed to flip him over, pinning him with both hands on his shoulders. Neither moved for a minute, trying to catch their breath.

"I hate you, you know that?" she said sarcastically, yet still grinning. Her hair swung over her shoulder, nearly touching Seth's face.

"I hate you too," Seth answered, returning the comment just as sarcastically. Both looked up as someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

"Are you guys coming?" Erik asked.


	2. Onward

Disclaimer: It's Greg's house, I'm just looking through the window, watching as more Defender episodes are created! snort Yeah, I wish . . . .  
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"It has been five years since the destruction of the Megalith," Elder Priestess Ailaena said, addressing the semi-circle of Defenders around her. Professor Alnar was not present.

"Similiarly, it has been two years since the re-banishment of the Ethos. RaDos owes you much, young Defenders, and it also needs you once again."

"Trouble?" Rion asked

Ailaena nodded. "On the very edges of the Kingdoms of Maligor, in the Di-Gata Mountains. One of the warlords there has begun a push into this part of the Realm. We need you to find out why.

Seth looked up at the Elder Priestess. "Is there anything else we should know?"

Ailaena shook her head once. "Just be as careful and diplomatic as possible. We do not want war, only answers."

She raised her hands to the Defenders. "Onward, Defenders." Six voices came back to her.

"Onward."

¤

Erik closed the engine access hatch on Seth's Stormer, and stood, dusting his hands together.

"There. We should be good to go," he said.

"Good," the dark-haired leader said, pulling on his helmet. The original four Defenders mounted their bikes, Rion getting on behind Kara, Adam riding behind Mel. Together, they sped off, heading west.

¤

Ailaena and Professor Alnar watched as the Stormer grew increasingly smaller in the distance.

"And so it begins again," the Elder Priestess said quietly.

"They are more than ready," Alnar said, watching the tiny, dark specks. "They have already proved themselves several times over."

"Seth and Melosa have been getting closer," Ailaena commented. "As have Rion and Kara."

Alnar smiled, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "That's as it should be," he said. "Their parents would be proud."

¤

On the western reaches of the Di-Gata Mountains, a troop of soldiers were inthe midst of a training session. Their objective was to reach a ledge halfway up, only crawling on their stomachs.

"You think you're soldiers?" the drill sergeant yelled. "I've trained Yintos troops that had twice your guts! Now move it!" 

"Not afraid to push your men to the limit, are you, Sergeant?" The man turned, saw who was addressing him, and lowered his gaze, bowing.

"No, sir. Our troops must be in peak condition in order to fulfill your plans."

The man who had addressed him was tall, standing almost six feet. His clothing was simple and a flat black. This was Rorsh, one of the most powerful warlords in Maligor.

"King Fyorn has instructed me to take RaDos with the new technology we've developed," Rorsh ground out. "Taken by surprise, RaDos will have no chance. No one, not even the Di-Gata Defenders will stop us."

"But, sir," the drill sergeant said, slightly apprehensive. "The Defenders defeated both the Megalith _and_ the Ethos. Surely they are a force to -"

He was cut off as Rorsh's hand caught the front of his uniform, lifting him into the air.

"No one . . . not even the Di-Gata Defenders . . . will stop us," Rorsh repeated. "Do I make myself clear?"

The sergeant saluted to the best of his ability. "Sir," he choked. "Yes sir."

Rorsh dropped the man to the ground. "Excellent. Continue the troops training. If they fail me, it will be on your head."


	3. The One She Chose

Disclaimer: All the usual disclaimer-ish stuff that we know and loathe, like me not owning Di-Gata Defenders. Makes for a nice dream, albeit an untrue one.

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The first night out from Amos-Yan had the Defenders stopped just inside the southern end of the Di-Gata Mountains.

It was late when Mel woke up. Sitting up partially, preparing to turn over and go back to sleep, she caught sight of Seth. He was sitting by the fire, staring into the flames.

Getting up, Mel, came up behind him. "Seth? Are you okay?"

He jumped slightly, turning to see who was behind him. She came around to his right, settling down beside him, as he spoke again.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He glanced sideways at her. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was." Mel answered. "Question is, why weren't you?"

"It's nothing."

"Liar," Mel said, disguising the word with a cough. Seth grinned, nudging her in the side.

"You're not much better."

She rolled her eyes. "Would you just tell me already?"

Seth gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Since you want to know so badly, and since you'll probably freeze me to a tree and force me to tell you anyway, what I was thinking about was . . . ." he hesitated. "You."

Mel looked at, slightly surprised. "Me?"

"Unless there's another Defender around here named Mel," he answered. 

"And you were thinking about me because . . . ?" Mel moved her left hand in a motion for him to continue.

Seth's face flushed, ever so slightly. "Well . . . you and I have been . . . getting a bit closer . . . and . . . ."

"You were daydreaming?" Mel supplied. Seth nodded, smiling slightly. She grinned. "I know how you feel. Happened to me yesterday. About you."

Seth's eyebrows raised. "Really?" Mel nodded.

"Yeah. And it makes sense, I guess, with everything we've gone through together . . . ." It was her turn to blush.

"Wait a second," Seth said. "I thought you liked Adam?"

Mel turned to look at him. "Adam? No. Back before the Megalith was destroyed, yeah, a little bit, but not now." She tudied his face for a moment. "You seriously didn't know?"

Seth shook his head. "Had no clue."

Mel blinked in surprise. "Wow." They sat in silence, listening as the fire crackled every now and then. Mel's eyes began to fall shut, the hypnotic patterns of the flames starting to summon sleep again. She hardly noticed when her head leaned over onto Seth's shoulder.

He looked down, smiling slightly. Slipping one arm around her, he felt her shift a little closer in her sleep.

Seth felt his own eyes beginning to close. Leaning his head against Mel's, he gradually fell asleep too.  
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Just a short one, but oh so much fluffiness! Enjoy!


	4. Sarcasm and Shockstaffs

Disclaimer: I don't own Di-Gata Defenders, but I wish to Dako that I did!  
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Mel sat cross-legged on the floor of the stone room, eyes closed as the man paced around her.

"You know, this is an interrogation chamber, not a meditation room," he snapped, stopping in front of the Wizard.

Her eyes opened, a piercing blue. "Well, when you decide to start interrogating me, let me know," she answered calmly.

The man resumed his pacing. "What were you and your friends doing in the vicinity of a Maligor training area?"

Mel raised one eyebrow, smiling slightly. "Is that an interrogation question, or just you being nosy?"

"Just answer it."

"My my, testy, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes, knowing that he was still behind her and wouldn't see. "We were camped near your training area, heard the weapons' fire, and came to take a look. You'll have to excuse the natural Defender curiosity."

"Curiosity destroyed the Dakocite wolf," the interrogator warned her, coming around in front again.

"The Wizard froze her interrogator," Mel replied, smiling slightly. The questioner snapped his fingers, two guards entering immediately.

Looking up, the interrogator nodded. Looking back over her shoulder, Mel saw the shockstaffs begin to power up. _Sigilsunk_.

¤

The Defenders had been separated, two to a cell, in the detainment facility. Erik and Kara shared one cell, Seth and Mel another, and Rion and Adam a third.

Seth looked up as the energy bars deactivated, and Mel was tossed in. She appeared to be unconscious, not moving when she hit the floor. The bars went up again, and the guards moved on to Rion and Adam's cell, taking the blond-haired boy with them when they left.

Seth knelt beside his friend as she began to come around. Blue eyes flickered open, blinked once.

"You okay?" he asked, helping her sit up.

She nodded, rubbing at her left arm. "I'm beginning to hate shockstaffs," she muttered.

Seth grinned and stood, extending a hand, helping the Wizard girl to her feet. "And you did what to deserve that?"

Mel shrugged innocently. "Nothing."

Kara, sitting cross-legged near the bars across the hall, smiled. "How much sarcasm?" she asked.

"A lot." Rion was returned an hour later, a victim of the shockstaffs as well. The soldiers returned to the guard station further up the hall, not speaking.

The Defenders gathered close to the energy bars, talking quietly.

"They're trying to find out how much we know," Mel said, glancing around at the others.

"Which isn't very much," Erik pointed out. "We were only there for a minute before they noticed us."

"We need to talk to someone in charge around here," Rion said, just waking up to the conversation. "Convince them that we're not spies or anything."

"That could be tricky, though," Adam warned. "We were caught watching their training session, they're not likely to trust us so easily."

"The next one they take to question should see if they can talk to someone higher up," Kara suggested. 

"Have you _seen_ some of the guys from Maligor?" Adam asked. "They're enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone!"

"Everyone, calm down!" Seth said above the voices. All turned to look at him. "Listen."

A rhythmic stompong noise could be heard, like people were dancing. The tempo grew faster, the stomping got louder, until all at once, it stopped.

Mel turned to the small, barred window at the back of thier cell, and stood trying to see out.

"Seth, can you give me a boost?"

The dark-haired leader joined her, picking her up easily. "You don't weigh much, do you?

"Sssh." Mel could now see across the open parade ground to the main building. And standing around in the open was a group of men, fifty all told, dressed mostly in furs, taken from animals they'd hunted. She'd seen them somewhere before. 

Seth set her down, noticing the serious look on her face. "Well?"

"Looks like our friends upstairs have some new allies," she answered. "Erik; remember that warrior cult you and I tangled with five years ago?"

The redheaded boy nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"I get the feeling we'll have a chance to play with them again soon."

¤

Rorsh studied the cultists critically. "Who are these people?"

The soldier next to him spoke, nervously. "Sir, these are members of a warrior tribe, that we've recruited to help us invade RaDos."

"The king has approved the use of these . . . warriors?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes, sir. In fact, it was the kind who suggested we recruit them, sir."

Rorsh swept his gaze out across the warriors, and to the outbuildings behind them. The detainment facility caught his attention. Through a window at ground level, a young woman with silver-blue hair could be seen looking out through the bars.

"Zise, what prisoners do we currently have in the cells?"

"Prisoners? A small group of six, calling themselves the Di-Gata Defenders. Two have been interrogated, and so far they are proving quite unsusceptible to our questioning tactics."

"The Di-Gata Defenders," Rorsh mused. "The Defenders have always had a leader. Bring that one to me, as well as the silver-haired one. I will question them myself."

Zise blinked once. "Yourself?"

Rorsh turned to leave. "Yes. Now go. Bring the two Defenders to my audience chamber. Move!"

Zise bowed, then scrambled off in the direction of the detainment facility.


	5. Purposeful Hurt

I own nothing, except my story plot. So no stealing.

Rorsh activated the holographic screen, and knelt in front of it. Moments later, the screen went dark, except for two glowing eyes.

"Warlord Rorsh," a gravelly voice ground out.

"Majesty, I believe we may have unexpected trouble," the Warlord said, not raising his head.

The eyes, a dark violet, narrowed. "Explain."

"There have been six persons detained here; the Di-Gata Defenders. They were captured near the southern edge of the mountains, spying on our training procedures."

"Annihilate them," the voice said.

"But, my lord, they may not have seen anything at all. We have interrgoated two of them. Both claim that they had only heard the weapons' fire and come to investigate."

"They could not have corroborated each other's alibis?"

"No, Your Highness."

"I see. Do not destroy them yet. Send them with the next convoy to the royal city. There I will deal with them myself."

"Yes, my lord," Rorsh said, nodding respectfully.

"The Di-Gata Defenders defeated my people once, Rorsh. We shall not suffer a second indignity."

¤

Seth and Mel were shoved inside the audience chamber, hands locked inside restraints. The guards gave them each a slight push on the shoulder to keep them moving.

At the far end, on a raised dais, stood a six-foot-tall man, dressed simply in flowing black pants, a black tunic, belted by a brown leather belt. pale brown eyes stared at the Defenders as they approached.

"I take it you're the leader?" Seth said, looking up at the tall man.

"I am Rorsh, Warlord of Maligor." This guy apparently wasn't much for words. "Why are you here?"

"Because you arrested us," Mel answered. Rorsh turned his gaze on her, trying to intimidate her into silence. She didn't back down, just fixed her own stare on his.

"In our culture, women are disciplined to be seen and not heard," Rorsh said quietly.

"In ours, they have the right to speak from themselves," Seth said. "Conflicting customs aren't going to help us here. You are a military man, you understand the wisdom of having a second-in-command." He nodded toward Mel. "Which is what she is."

Rorsh studied Mel another second. "I see." Coming down from the dais, he paced around the two. He stood a full head taller than Seth, a head and a half above Mel.

"Do you know the nature of your arrest?"

Seth shrugged indifferently. "We were found nearby one of your training camps, assumed to be spies."

"Yet you say you are not enemies."

"We have no interest in your military," Mel said, sharing a glance with Seth. He nodded. "We're in this area on a mission."

Rorsh stopped behind her. "And what might that mission be?"

"That would be something we're not willing to tell," Seth answered, glancing at Mel again. From the expression on her face, he could tell she was losing patience with the incessant questions. _Hang on, Mel. Don't lose your temper yet._

"Oh really," Rorsh said, his harsh voice now sounding almost conversational. Putting one hand one Mel's shoulder, he spun her so that he was holding her in front of him facing Seth. In the same motion, he reached down with his free hand, pulling loose a sharp-edged knife, placing the tip against the side of her face.

"Would you be willing to tell me now?"

Seth clamped down on his rising anger. "Let her go, Rorsh."

The Warlord smiled. "When you have given me the information I want, I will."

Mel caught Seth's eye. "Seth, no. Remember, we only want answers too." She stopped as the knifetip pressed a little harder against her cheek.

"Answers? Answers to perhaps what our military plans are?" Rorsh asked, his voice now switching to sick friendliness.

"Dako-brained son-of-a-sigil-blasted-yinyanner," Mel muttered, almost inaudibly. Seth still heard her, as did Rorsh.

She clenched her teeth as the knifetip sliced down through skin, drawing a thin cut about an inch long. The Warlord smiled as Mel tensed.

"Not so willing to be sarcastic now, are you, Defender?" he said, almost laughing. Looking up at Seth, he watched, amused, as the dark-haired leader glared back at him. "So. What information were you after?"

"Seth, no -" The knifetip sliced again, drawing another cut, parallel to the first.

Seth closed his eyes. "We were instructed to find out why your army is gearing up for a push into the land east of your territory," he said. "We were only to find out why, then report back to Amos-Yan. That's it."

Rorsh grinned, then gave Mel a shove away from him. She caught her balance, whirled, eyes flashing. 

"_Yanis, Sum, Altas!_" Blue-white light flew toward Rorsh, who instinctively raised an arm to block it. The light connected, creating ice around his arm. Guards immediately entered at their master's shout, dragging the Wizard girl back.

"Lock them back in the dungeons," Rorsh said, clutching his frozen limb. "They will await the next convoy to the royal city." He slammed his fist into the wall, trying to break the ice. Instead, a chunk of stone fell to the floor.

Mel gave a derisive 'tsch.' "It's Wizard ice. Doesn't melt, doesn't break. Better get used to having that ice there."

"OUT!" Rorsh bellowed, pointing with his good arm.

¤

Night had fallen, and the other Defenders were asleep when Seth and Mel were shoved back into their cell, hands finally free again.

Mel carefully wiped some of the blood off her cheek, staring at the dark liquid on her glove. "Mark my words, Rorsh is going to pay for this," she said, blue eys narrowing.

Seth sat down beside her. Holding her chin in one hand, he carefully wiped the trickles of blood away with the other. "You did a good job of standing up to him, though," he said, as he finished.

Mel looked at him, smiling slightly. "And at least now we know where we're going from here: the Maligor royal city."

Seth smiled too, putting one arm around her shoulders, and leaning back against the wall. "If we get a chance, we'll find out what we need to know."

Mel leaned back as well, with her head on Seth's shoulder. "And if I get a chance, I'll freeze the rest of Rorsh, not just his arm."

Seth laughed quietly, closing his eyes. "That's my Mel," he muttered.


	6. I Got My Chance

Disclaimer: If you don't get it by now . . . yeesh. I do not own Di-Gata Defenders.   
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The guards entered the cell block with Adam, but didn't put him back into his cell. Instead, they had brought extra help, and now pulled the others out, together. The Defenders were marched up to the outside, where Rorsh was waiting for them, arm still covered in ice.

Mel shot him a grin. "Morning," she said, casually, looking up at the sky. "Looks like we're in for some rain, wouldn't you say, Seth?"

The dark-haired leader smiled slightly. "Hopefully. We haven't much lately."

Rorsh glared at the two of them, fingering his knife hilt. "Don't force me to give you a third taste of my blade." Mel looked at him, smiling slyly, as Seth spoke.

"There's no evidence she's ever seen your knife," he said. Putting one hand on her chin, he turned her face so that Rorsh was looking at her completely healed cheek.

The Warlord blinked in surprise, before clamping down on the emotion. "Clever, Wizard. I give you credit for your speedy recovery." Reaching down to a pouch on his belt, he drew a tiny knife, it's blade blackened, as if by firesmoke.

Stepping forward, he towered over the Wizard girl, laying the blade against her cheek.

"You're not stupid enough to try this again, are you?" Mel asked, looking up at him calmly. The blade cut skin, blood shimmering along the metal edge. Mel fought the urge to clench her teeth.

"Well. It would appear you _are_ that stupid." Rorsh put both hands on her shoulders, shoving her backwards. Mel started to fall, only to be caught by Seth, who helped her regain her footing.

"Try and heal that one with your Wizard tricks," Rorsh snarled, putting the tiny blade back into it's pouch. "See how far you get."

Mel glanced at Seth, then closed her eyes. Blue-white light glowed from the cut, red sparks glittering along the edges. The blue glow faded, but the cut remained open, blood slowly trickling out of it. Mel's eyes opened, fiery blue.

"That knife was poisoned," she nearly spat, glaring up at Rorsh. "It keeps the wound from healing properly, leaving a scar behind."

"As a reminder," Rorsh said, smiling, eyes narrowed. "Your powers will have neutralized it, but the wound will refuse to be healed by your powers. Keep the scar as a reminder of me, Wizard."

Mel curled the fingers of her right hand into a fist, Yan energy glowing around it. Stepping forward, she drove a punch straight into Rorsh's stomach, the energy-assisted blow knocking the Warlord back. He hit the ground, ice forming around him.

Mel rubbed the scraped knuckles of her hand, glaring. "And that's my reminder to you, Dako-brainer," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear her. Turning on her heel, she walked calmly toward the prisoner transport.

Behind her, Seth and Adam exchanged open-mouthed glances.

"That was . . . . " Adam stopped, trying to find the right word.

"Wow," Seth muttered, staring after the Wizard girl. "Remind me to stay on her good side."

¤

Five hours later found the Defenders squished inside the confined space of the prisoner transport, en route to the royal city. The rocking motion of the vehicle soon had lulled into sleep.

Mel woke as her head touched Seth's, the dark-haired leader waking up as well. "Sorry," she said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," he murmured back. They sat in silence for a moment, until Seth took her right hand, studying the reddened skin around the knuckles.

"How hard did you hit that guy?"

Mel smiled slightly. "Hard enough." She looked over Seth. "I got my chance, and I froze him. He won't be breaking out of that ice any time soon."

Gray eyes met blue. "You sorry about it?" Seth asked.

"Not a chance," Mel answered.

Seth's gaze shifted to the cut on her face. Reaching up, he carefully traced it. "You're sure your powers neutralized the poison from the knife?"

Mel covered his hand with hers. "Don't worry about it, Seth. Rorsh said so himself that I did." She smiled. "But thanks for asking."

Seth leaned toward her. "You're welcome." He kissed her, felt her fingers curl around his. Pulling back, he watched her sweep silver-blue bangs out of her eyes.

"Um . . . wow," she said, smiling. He smiled too, putting his left arm around her shoulders. She curled up against him, head on his shoulder. Soon, the motion of the transport had both of them dozing again.


	7. The Maligorian King

I do not own Di-Gata Defenders. Must I repeat myself?

Mel: Yeah, unless you want to get sued back to the Dark Ages.  
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The transport jolted to a stop, waking the Defenders. The doors at the rear opened, several guards waiting. One by one, the 'prisoners' climbed out, looking around at the bright afternoon.

A path led to the huge front doors of a monstrous building, lined on both sides by crowds of people, all staring at the Defenders. The transport doors slammed shut, and the guards shoved the Defenders forward, up the gauntlet of people.

It was silent, the citizens just wordlessly staring. Mel, walking between Seth and Adam, noticed the thief's eyes studying the outside of the building they were heading to.

"Looking for something?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe something that'll help us get out later," he muttered back. "Depending on what floor we're on, escaping either gets easier, or harder. Cells are no problem, there's a weakness in every one. But if they -"

"Silence!" snapped one of the guards behind them.

Adam glanced over his shoulder at the man. "Excuse me, but my friend and I were having a rather important discussion." Mel bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. "The next time you have an input, wait until there's an opening."

He faced forward again, the guard behind him reddening with anger. Gripping his shockstaff tighter, he raised it, as if to hit Adam over the head. Bringing it down, he jolted in surprise as Adam stopped, spun, and caught it.

The people in the crowd in that area gasped slightly. Adam pulled the staff out of the guard's grip, the shockers on the end charging up, then spun it, gently tapping the guard on the shoulder with the tip. Wordlessly, the soldier dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Tossing the staff onto it's senseless owner, Adam turned back to Seth and Mel, the Defenders starting up the pathway again. As they reached the doors, the crowd started applauding.

The huge wooden door creaked as it opened, granting the Defenders and their escort access.

"Nice job," Seth said, smiling slightly at Adam.

The thief shrugged. "It was only fair. Didn't like the guy anyway." The six entered, the door closing behind them.

¤

The king's throne room was dark, gloomy. Dark stone made up the walls, lit eerily by the reflections of water from a huge metal tank. The throne itself stood on a raised platform covered in shadows.

The Defenders stood in the middle of the echoing room, waiting. Then the voice came, emanating from the large tank of water.

"So. You are the famous Di-Gata Defenders," it growled, gravelly and harsh, like it's vocal chords were filled with shards of rock. "Why were you brought here?"

"We were taken prisoner near one of your training grounds," Seth said, watching the water reflections on the wall behind the tank. "Rorsh sent us here."

"Wrong," the voice grated. "You are here, because Rorsh was too incompetent to deal with you himself." A hissing laugh echoed around the chamber. "Though you proved that, Wizard."

Rion leaned toward Kara. "I don't like the sound of that voice," he whispered. "It sounds . . . familiar." Kara nodded her agreement.

"I'd think my voice would sound at least a little familiar, Defender," the voice rasped. Dripping, a figure rose from the tank, clothed a dark, cowled robe. King Fyorn.

The Defenders all sucked in a breath in shock. The figure smiled, huge teeth glimmering in the dim light. Descending to floor level, the Ethos glided toward them, dripping oily gray liquid onto the floorstones.

"Ah, Defenders. It's been so long." The glowing violet eyes turned to Mel, narrowing slightly. "I understand you are the cause of Rorsh's unfortunate . . . 'accident.'"

The Wizard girl watched him carefully. "Well, when he pulls the stupid kind of stunt he did . . . ." She waved a hand. "I reacted as was best for the rest of RaDos."

One of the Ethos' tentacle-fingers flashed out, wrapping around her wrist, pulling her forward. "Yet the fact remains that you eliminated one of my top commanders," he growled, lowering his face to within two inches of hers. "For that, I receive my retribution right now."

Mel stared directly him. "For whatever good that will do," she said calmly. Fyorn pulled back, reaching up another hand to turn her head to the right, studying the unhealed mark on her left cheek.

"In the meantime, I think this will do," he said. One tentacle touched the cut, violet light erupting out from the cut. Mel let out a cry, as pain flooded the spot, moving out across her entire body. Releasing her wrist, Fyorn kept his contact with the cut, laughing again.

Both Seth and Adam stepped forward, and the Ethos held up a hand. "Not so fast," he growled. "She will learn her lesson."

The violet glow faded, and Mel collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Seth dropped down beside her, checking for a heartbeat. It was there, and he glanced up at Fyorn, glaring. Twice now, someone had attacked Mel for some small reason. An insult, a frozen Warlord.

"Take them to the cells," Fyorn said, staring back at the dark-haired leader. "Seventh level."

Seth carefully picked Mel up, carrying her out of the room, flanked by guards. The Ethos would pay. One way or another, they would definitely pay.

¤

Mel woke up slowly, at first just keeping her eyes closed, listening. From somewhere near her shoulder, she could hear Kara.

"Is she going to be okay? What did that guy do to her anyway?"

"Remember how the Ethos were afraid of the light from Wizard powers, when were trying to re-banish them?" Erik's voice. "The guy downstairs was using the same method against her."

¤

_Everything was shadowed, the sounds of dripping echoing between the rock walls of the cavern. Mel was crouched in a crevice, Seth on her left, Adam to her right. Across the corridor, she could see Rion, Erik, and Kara._

Voices drifted down from up ahead, just as Seth gave the signal to start forward.

"Once the Defenders have been brought to us, nothing can stop us from summoning the rest of our brethren from the Dark Realm."

"There are six of us who are going to try," Seth called back, as the Defenders spread out in a single line across the mouth of the tunnel, as the six Ethos turned to face them.

The leader stepped forward, almost smiling. "Ah. So the Di-Gata Defenders come to us," he said. "Are you really brave enough to attempt such a thing as the Spell of Banishment?"

The Ethos behind him moved forward, each facing a Defender, violet eyes glowing. Seth merely smiled, holding up a magenta-coloured stone.

"This is what we refer to as the "Shadow Stone," he said calmly. "As you can see, the sigil of the Ethos is carved on it, and we've found that there's an interesting effect."

He passed it to Mel, who curled her fingers around it, staring directly at the Ethos in front of her. Blue-white flames appeared around the hand holding the stone. Almost immediately, the six Ethos hissed, pulling back a good three feet.

Mel smiled, eyes narrowing slightly. "So," she said, letting the flames disappear. "Let's see how interesting we can make this fight."

¤

Several floors below the Defenders, Fyorn settled himself onto his throne, the black curtains around it shielding him from view, and from any light that penetrated the chamber.

He thought back to his last encounter with the Defenders. The rest of his Emissaries had fallen, only he managed to escape, with a device that protected him when the Spell of Banishment had been re-cast . . . .

_Fyorn circled around the Defenders' leader, sounds of Di-Gata energy blasts sounding around the two of them._

"You can't win, Defender," he snarled. "The Ethos have been banished wrongfully, and now is our moment to return!"

Violet fire engulfed his hand and he lunged toward his opponent. The boy dodged, Fyorn gliding to a stop, having missed him entirely. A flash of violet light, and the Wizard girl flew backwards from her challenger, landing on the floor.

She was just starting to get to her feet, when Fyorn caught her shoulder, holding her in front of himself, between him and the Defender. The dark-haired boy stopped in his tracks.

"Not so fast, Defender," Fyorn growled. "I think you know what will happen if you don't co-operate."

What he had failed to notice at the time, was that the girl's hand was moving steadily closer to the carrier on her left arm, which held the Shadow Stone. In a quick movement, she pulled it out, blue light flaring around her hand.

With a hiss, Fyorn released her, gliding backwards as fast as possible, toward the tunnel entrance. Each of the other Ethos did the same, veering off from their battles, away from the light. Fyorn snatched a hexagonal prism from a ledge, stowing inside his robes.

The Wizard girl let the blue light fade, and her friends went back onto the attack. Fyorn sank into the shadows as the Defenders' leader turned to look for him. Still clutching the prism, he set off backwards down the tunnel, the darkness consuming him completely.


	8. The Chase is On

Shoutout: To Reya, and one of my friends: Wilko. If you read "Welcome to My Life" on the DG Boards, you know who he is. Thanks for helping me with Arvengus's summoning call, and trouble for Adam and Erik. You gotta hate writer's block . . . .

I do not own Di-Gata Defenders. I'm just way overly obsessed.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Remember how the Ethos were afraid of the light from Wizard powers, when were trying to re-banish them?" Erik's voice. "The guy downstairs was using the same method against her."

"And it _hurt_," Mel said, eyes opening slightly. A split-second later, Seth and Adam nearly knocked their heads together as they leaned over her.

"Are you okay?" They asked, simultaneously.

Mel smiled slightly. "I'm awake, I'm talking to you, my sense of sarcasm is undamaged . . . do you _think_ I'm okay?"

Seth and Adam exchanged glances. "She's fine."

Sitting up slowly, Mel looked around the tiny room. "Where are we?"

Adam sat down on her right. "Seventh floor," he said. We were just about to start figuring how to get out of here."

Kara grinned. "It's pretty obvious," she said slyly. Everyone turned to look at her. "Well, how did we get _in_?" 

Rion shrugged. "The door?"

Kara nodded, getting to her feet. "Right. Next question: what happens to electrical stuff when it gets hit with water?" she said, moving over to where several energy bars extended in a stone doorway. She looked over her shoulder at Mel. "Care to give it a shot?" The Wizard girl nodded, smiling, getting up to join her friend. 

Rion grinned, crossing his arms. "I like the way you think," he said, glancing at Kara. She just shrugged, smiling innocently.

¤

Two minutes later, the six Defenders stood in a corridor, next to a sparking control panel for the cell's energy bars.

"Which way?" Erik asked, looking around. Everyone froze as a voice sounded from overhead. 

"Power failure, block M-23," it said, no doubt sounding an alarm. "All units report immediately." Soon after that, the sound of boots pounding against stone could be heard from the right.

"Come on," Seth said, heading to the left.

No sooner had they disappeared around a corner, when the guards stopped beside the sparking panel. The captain studied the damage, then looked off down the hall.

"Three units, two each!" he barked. "Find those prisoners!"

¤

The Defenders stopped as three passages loomed up, two branching off to the left and right, another continuing straight ahead.

"Split up," Seth said. "Three groups of two." Rion and Kara took the rightmost tunnel, Erik and Adam the middle, Seth and Mel dashing off down the left.

The soldiers stopped at the branches, looking around confused. All except one.

"What are you waiting for?" the man hollered at the others. "Get after them! You two: take the right! You: the left! Move it!"

Startled, the men dashed off into the respective tunnels, the commander and another man heading down the shaft Erik and Adam had taken.

The chase was on.

¤

Kara and Rion came to another branching of tunnels, this time only two. Skidding to a stop, they glanced around. 

"Do they not have enough tunnels around here?" Kara said, glancing from one to the other. Both turned to look behind as footsteps began to sound.

"Apparently not, now let's go!" Rion said. Catching Kara's hand, he pulled her down the lefthand tunnel, just as the two guards pursuing them arrived.

"There they are!" One shouted, running ahead of his companion. 

"Tornado!" The guard froze, just in time to be hit by the spinning whirlwind. His shout of surprise echoed off the walls, oddly distorted by the wind stirred up by the attack. Eventually, the guard went flying into the wall, past his companion, who snickered. 

"What're you laughing at?" he snarled, getting to his feet. "Get after 'em already!"

Kara and Rion were already well ahead, sprinting down the tunnel. Glancing back over her shoulder, Rion gave a short laugh.

"Nice one." Unfortunately, he failed to notice Kara stop again, and he himself slammed into a rather large, solid person. Falling backwards, he looked up from his position on the floor to see several men towering over himself and Kara.

Kara pulled him to his feet, watching the men carefully. Both looked back as the two soldiers came around the bend.

"Don't move!" the second guard said, levelling his shockstaff at the two Defenders. "You're under arrest."

Rion glanced at Kara. "You want to handle this one?"

She grinned. "No, you go ahead. I feel like I'm doing all the work."

Grinning, Rion cast his Guardian stone between himself and Kara. "Arvengus: Emerge!" Golden light flashed briefly, before the giant lion stood between the two Defenders, facing the group of large men.

One of them, obviously not very bright, gave a bass giggle. "Kitty!" He reached out a rather pudgy looking hand, as if to pet the Guardian on the head. Arvengus seemed rather taken aback for a moment before growling. The man's hand retracted sharply. Wagging a finger at the snarling Guardian, he said, "Bad kitty!"

That did it. Arvengus jumped forward, tossing the men left and right, Kara and Rion running through in his wake. On the other side, the Guardian paused, crouching low enough for the two Defenders to climb up on his back. As they took off down the tunnel, Rion spoke to Kara over his shoulder.

"Adam was right! Those Maligor guys are enough to scare anyone!"

"Those weren't Maligorians," Kara told him, putting both arms around his waist to prevent being thrown off.

"Then who were they?"

"Warrior cultists!"

Rion faced front again. "Now you tell me . . . ."

¤

Erik and Adam were running at top speed, trying to lose the two guards and four cultists on their tail.

"I really hate these guys," Erik panted, glancing over his shoulder.

"Less talk, more run," Adam said. The tunnel branched in two up ahead, the split rapidly approaching the two. "Erik: Left or right?"

"Right sounds right to me," the other boy said. The two swerved right down the tunnel, which proved to be rather rocky, and dimly lit. It wasn't very long before Erik tripped, falling to the stone floor. Adam stopped, looking back as the cultists and soldiers arrived on the scene.

"Stay where you are!" one soldier shouted. Surreptitiously, Adam drew his stones, waiting a moment just to make sure the movement hadn't been noticed.

"Deceptor!" Cultist and soldier heads looked up at him, then around at the twenty-odd Adams scattered around the tunnel. One cultist bent down, studying a clone briefly before poking it on the nose.

"Cover your eyes," Erik muttered. "Flash Blast!" A burst of light shattered the tunnel's dimness, if only for a moment. Blinded cultists and soldiers staggered, knocking into each other. And Erik and Adam were off and running again, heading around a curve in the tunnel.

"Nice job back there," Erik said, watching for any more potential objects to trip over. Adam shrugged.

"I didn't know cultists could poke that hard," he muttered, rubbing at his nose.

"That was you?"

"Unfortunately."


	9. Escape from Maligor

I do not own Di-Gata Defenders. Why do I get the feeling that I've said that before? Hmmm . . . .   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Seth and Mel sped around a corner, four cultists and two soldiers behind them. The latter were waving their weapons, and shouting, filling the tunnel with noise.

"You know, you'd think that they'd eventually get tired of all the running around," Mel said, glancing back over her shoulder.

"They're a bunch of warrior cultists, they _never_ get tired," Seth answered. They rounded another curve, the path and walls becoming filled with darkened lighting crystals, some smashed, shards lying on the floor. Seth and Mel, dressed as they were in darker clothing, were soon swallowed up in the windowless, darkened area.

One soldier held up a hand, halting the rest of his group. Activating his shockstaff, he held it up, the electric blue glow faintly illuminating the area. The six started forward again, searching for their quarry.

Seth and Mel, pressed into a still-dark corner where a crystal-stand met the wall, held their breath, unmoving. The guards and cultists advanced slowly.

Seth looked at the glow edging toward them, then at the Wizard girl beside him. He shifted his eyes significantly at the ever-nearing light. Mel nodded, one hand ready.

Two metres away from the Defender's hiding spot, the shockstaff closed down of it's own accord, the soldier wielding looking at his weapon, perplexed. "What the . . . ."

"Fuyrs, you forgot to charge the thing again, didn't you?!" his partner groaned. "This is great, we'll never catch those Defenders now!"

"What about _your_ staff?"

"It's, um . . . not charged either . . . ."

Mel raised her left hand, ready to cast a Wizard spell, but Seth clamped a hand over her mouth, pressing her back against the wall. Her eyes moved to look at him, one eyebrow raised in an unspoken "What the heck are you doing?"

He winked, then nodded his head toward the group now fumbling through the darkness. Mel watched them edge past . . . only five of them . . . . The sixth, a cultist, was flailing around with one hand, trying to find the wall . . . and was close to hitting Seth.

Pushing off the wall, pivoting around Seth, Mel planted one hand flat against the cultist's stomach, freezing him instantly, with a minimal light flash. Looking back at Seth, she was surprised to find his nose barely a centimetre from her own.

Neither moved or spoke for a split-second before Mel stepped back. "We'd . . . better get moving," she said quietly. 

Seth nodded. "I'll agree to that. I don't want to be here when those guys realize their buddy is missing."

¤

Erik and Adam nearly collided with Arvengus as her came whipping around a corner, carrying Rion and Kara. The Guardian skidded to a halt, his two passengers climbing off.

"Where've you two been?" Erik asked as Arvengus returned to his stone.

Kara glanced over shoulder, back the way she and Rion had come. "Getting chased by a bunch cat-loving cultists," she said. "What about you?"

"Same, but they preferred clones," Erik answered. Adam shot him a glare.

"Moving on . . . ." Dual roars sounded from each corridor.

Rion started off at a run. "_Definitely_ moving on!" The other three caught up to him, all of them pelting down another tunnel.

"Either of you see Seth and Mel?" Adam asked. Two seconds later, the two in question bolted out of another corridor, joining the others.

"Looking for us?" the dark-haired leader said, falling into step beside Adam. The thief shrugged.

"Not necessarily. Just wondering where you were is all."

Mel spoke up as another roar sounded from behind the group. "Uh, guys, you want to save your breath for running?" 

Kara pointed to a dark doorway up ahead. "Quick, through there!" All six dove through the entrance, pressing back either side of the door, out of sight. Mixed cultists and soldiers stampeded past, unaware of the Defenders' vanishing act.

The group gave a sigh of relief, before Seth's voice spoke. "Erik, see if you can get a reading of what this place looks like. We need to find a way out."

There was a pause, in which Erik fiddled with the controls of his gauntlet, watching the little screen intently. "Aha! Got it!" The triumphant smile slipped from his face. "But it's not that good."

"What is it?" Rion asked, leaning forward to see.

"There are hundreds of tunnels down here. In all our running around, who knows how many of them are between us and the exit."

Seth studied the image on the screen. "It's like a maze. All we have to do is find a way out, without running into more cultists or guards."

Adam snorted quietly. "Yeah, no big deal. Run around with out any idea where we're going, and try to avoid the nasty cultsits that crop up unexpectedly, and can squash us in an instant."

Kara punched his arm lightly. "Way to be optimistic."

Two guards rushed into the audience chamber, stopping in front of the throne. Both bowed, not looking up to where the black curtains hid their ruler from view.

"You have something to report?" Fyorn's voice rasped from within his shroud. Both guards stood to attention staring straight ahead.

"Your Highness, the six Defenders have escaped, and are currently being pursued through the halls of your castle. Do you have special instructions for their recapture?"

Fyorn was silent a moment, tapping his tentacle-fingers on the arm of his seat. "Only that when they are caught, destroy them. All of them."

The two soldiers nodded, saluted, then left, leaving the Ethos alone with his thoughts. "For the good of the Ethos," he said quietly, "The Defenders must fall."

¤

The six Defenders finally escaped into the dying sunlight. Adam immediately fell face forward, hugging the grass.

"If I never see that place again, it'll be too soon," he said, rolling onto his back. The suns were just sinking below the horizon, the sky darkening. Thunderheads were rolling in from the west, lightning flashing every so often.

"We'd better get under shelter," Seth said, watching the approaching storm. "We'll get back to Ailaena and Professor Alnar, tell them what we've found out."

"And then what?" Rion asked, looking back over his shoulder at the forbidding Ethos fortress.

"And then we come back and take out Fyorn," Mel said grimly. Rain began to patter down, quickly increasing until it was a downpour. Adam stood, and the six started off, away from the fortress.

Behind them, a blue light started flashing, alarms beginning to sound. Visible through the rain, lines of soldiers were running out of the front entrance, after the Defenders.

"Guys, can we speed things up here?" Kara said, watching the guards approach. The six broke into a run, heading off into the darkening storm.

The guard captain halted, holding up a hand. "It's no use. We'll never find them in this weather." Turning, he addressed the troops in a shout. "Back to the fortress. On the double! Move!"

¤

"So you just let them escape?" Fyorn said from within the curtains. The guard captain nodded nervously.

"They had disappeared, my lord. Trying to find them in the storm would be a fool's errand. I saw no other choice than to -"

"Silence." The guard's mouth closed, waiting until the King spoke again. "Captain, have any of my men ever seen my face?"

"No, Fearsome One. No one dares to look upon you, by your own decree."

"Then you shall have the first honour. Look up to my throne, Captain. It is time you see the face of your leader."

Slowly, the guard captain raised his eyes to the throne, in time to see a shadowy figure launch itself from the seat. Huge teeth, glowing violet eyes, leathery skin combined into a nightmarish face, that drew nearer, nearer . . . .

From outside the closed door of the audience chamber, there was a scream, and then silence.

¤

Several days later, the Defenders stood in front of Ailaena and Professor Alnar, having finally made it back.

"You were gone for longer than expected," Alnar said, studying the line of his students before him. "We were beginning to worry."

"We had a little bit of . . . trouble," Erik said. "Which is putting it mildly."

Ailaena nodded. "What have you learned?"

"The Maligor army is planning a push into this area of RaDos," Adam said. "It was being led by a Warlord: Rorsh."

Alnar's eyebrows lifted. "Was?"

Mel smiled slightly. "Rorsh has been taken care of. Right now, he's nothing more than an ice statue."

Ailaena nodded. "I see. Please, continue."

"We were caught by Rorsh's group, then sent on to the Maligorian royal city," Seth explained. "The ruler there is Fyorn, the Ethos leader from three years ago. He somehow escaped the banishment. He's convinced a group of warrior cultists to join his army as well."

Both Alnar and Ailaena were silent for a moment, contemplating this revelation. After a moment, Alnar spoke again.

"Then we must prepare ourselves. You, Defenders, will lead the resistance against the Maligor army. The people of RaDos will stand to fight, and it will be your job to lead them."

Ailaena nodded. "I agree. But for now, go and rest. You've earned it, all of you."


	10. The First Battle

I own nothing but Fyorn, Iniquity, and my story plot. Paws off.

--

The flatlands were filled with people. Literally hundreds of them, all camped in an area of the Veltlands, waiting for the Maligorian army. Rion wove his way between the tents that were everywhere, looking for Seth. A moment later, the dark-haired leader came into view.

"Hey, Seth!"

Seth turned from to two Gata-shin monks in front of him as Rion approached, holding up a folded piece of paper.

"Message just came in from Alnar," the blond Defender said, holding it out. Seth took it, reading it through quickly, before looking back up at Rion.

"Find the others, get them together at the tactical centre. I'll meet you there."

Rion nodded grimly, then headed off.

Erik and Kara were the last to arrive in the tactical centre, following Rion. A large holographic table took up most of the floor space, seven coordinators standing around it, watching the position of the army.

"Seth, what's going on?" Kara asked as they joined Seth, Mel, and Adam at the back of the centre. "Rion said that you needed to meet with all of us."

Seth nodded. "Alnar just sent a message: the Maligorians have entered the Amat Pass. They'll be here in three hours."

Erik's eyes widened. "Three _hours?_ We can't be ready in three hours! It's impossible!"

"It's almost all arranged," Seth assured him. "But the six of us need to decide where we'll be during the fight."

"Your positions are ready, you need only take command," a voice said from the group's left. Ailaena, High Priestess of Amos-Yan approached, the end of her staff thudding slightly against the ground.

"Rion, you'll be in the communications tent, relaying messages between the groups. Kara: there are several Howlers that recently arrived. You'll be leading them."

"What are Howlers?" Erik asked, puzzled. Adam grinned.

"Big, intelligent lizards. They make this high-pitched howling sound, that, if it's directed at you, can deafen you within three seconds."

"Adam, the Thieves' Guild has offered their alliance to us, you'll be in charge of making sure the military and outlaws don't kill each other."

Adam swallowed hard, nodding.

"Erik: you'll be in here, in the tactical centre, keeping an eye on the battle, and relaying information to Rion, who relays it to Seth."

"Seth; Melosa: You'll be out front, directly where the action is. Each of you will have a personal communication module to receive information. Use balanced shield strength, reinforced with Wizard power. The Defenders cannot afford to lose either of you, but we need someone on the front lines."

Seth and Mel exchanged glances, nodded, before Seth spoke up. "We'll do it." A horn call sounded, the note falling across the encampment. Ailaena looked at the tactical centre's entrance.

"It's time to get into position. Good luck, Defenders."

Rion checked the five panels in front of him, speaking into the microphone near his mouth. "Everyone ready?" Five answers came back from the other Defenders.

"Okay, we've got the enemy tracked at 15 by 35. Seth; Mel; they should be in visual range in the next five minutes."

"We can see a dustcloud near the end of the Pass," Mel's voice answered. "It'll be more like ten minutes before they start showing up."

"All right. Kara; is your group in position?" Rion turned to the display second from the left. A blinking green light showed Kara's position on a map of the area.

"I'm all set. Once the army's through, we'll block off the Pass, make sure they're stuck here."

_And be careful_ Rion thought to himself. "Adam; everyone behaving on your end?"

Adam was currently standing between a RaDosian militiaman and another thief, who were intent on knocking each other's block off.

"I'm kinda busy, Rion. Leave a message," he said from between clenched teeth.

Someone else jerked on of the fighters back, leaving Adam to restrain the soldier, looking back over his shoulder, he saw a familiar face holding back the thief.

"Reya. Wasn't expecting to see you here."

Reya glanced back at him, flashing a smile. "What? You expect me to sit out of a fight? No chance, Heart Thief."

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't call me that."

"Times change."

Erik braced both hands against the edge of the table, watching the shapeless blob that was the Maligorian army slither down the path, past the green light that marked Kara. The edge of the blob oozed out the end of the Pass, and stopped.

"Rion? Enemy stopped just outside the Pass."

The blond glanced at the tactical display, then turned to the comm panels. "Seth? Mel? You see anything?"

"Not . . . wait. Yeah. Yeah, they're just stopped for now. Looks like the person leading them tripped or something." Seth paused, then spoke again, his voice tight. "Mel, take a look at the guy they're helping up. Tell me that's not who I think it is."

Another pause. "Oh my Di-Gata . . . ."

Rion frowned, putting one hand to the right ear of his headset, listening. "What is it?"

"You're never going to believe this. We have an old friend leading the Maligorian army. Bo."

On the cliffs above the Pass, Kara's eyebrows lifted. "Bo? Are you sure?"

"You're closer than I am. See for yourself." Mel's voice answered.

Leaning over the edge of the cliff, Kara looked down to where 'Bo' was being pulled to his feet. It was him all right.

"Yeah, that's him," she confirmed, frowning. "I don't get it. Do the Maligorians _want_ to lose?"

Below, the Maligorians started forward again, spreading out across from the RaDosian army.

Mel's eyebrows lifted. "Wow. They've got some serious muscle on their side."

Seth glanced sideways at her. "We've got determination. Every one of the people on our side has something to lose if this army gets through. We're going to give all we've got, and make sure nothing is lost."

"You're one for the pep talks, aren't you," Mel answered dryly, turning back to face the opposing army.

"Are you two lovebirds done making me gag yet?" Rion's voice asked.

"Rion!!"

"Okay, guys, get ready," the blond Defenders said, becoming serious again. "Maligorians are starting to increased activity in sectors 3, 5, and 9."

Seth curled the fingers of his right hand around his Warrior stone. "Let's get this party started."

**(Several hours later)**

Seth, Mel, Kara, and Adam walked in to the tactical centre, covered in dirt and exhausted. Erik looked up from the tactical display, did a double-take: Kara was leaning against Mel, favouring her left foot.

"Kara? Are you okay?"

Kara winced. He'd noticed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Rion slipped off his headset, setting it down on the comm boards. "Liar. The way you're walking, you probably sprained it. Come on. You're going to the med tent."

Kara glared at him. "Says who?"

"Says me, because I'm older."

"By five days!" She sighed. "But I guess you're right." Together, the two youngest Defenders headed out of the centre, nearly being bowled over by Reya as she bolted inside.

"Adam, can you give me a hand?" she said, slightly out of breath. "Those two that were fighting earlier are at it again, hammer and tongs."

Adam rolled his eyes, caught Mel's wrist, and started out of the centre, pulling her with him. "C'mon, if there's one person these guys'll listen to, it's a Wizard."

Mel had time for one puzzled glance at Seth before she was pulled out the entrance.

Mel turned away from the two men in front of her to face Adam. "You're telling me," she said, voice low, "That you dragged me out here to settle a dispute over a weapon?"

Adam shrugged. "The guy's a thief," he said simply.

"Right . . . ." She turned back to the two culprits. "If I hear anything about the two of you fighting while we're here, you'll both be ice cubes until next summer. Am I clear?"

Two 'yes ma'ams' later, she turned back toward the tactical centre. A high-pitched whistling filled the air, followed closely by a shout of "Hit the dirt!" from Adam.

Mel dove to the ground, covering her ears as an explosion vibrated the air around her. Coughing on the dust now swirling around, she pushed herself upright, looking ahead. Shouts began to echo through the air. One in particular was repeated.

"Tactical centre got hit dead on!" With growing dread, Mel broke into a run, heading for the centre.

It was flattened. The canvas structure was totalled, bits of fabric everywhere. Adam stopped beside Mel, eyes taking in the wreckage.

"You find Erik," the Wizard said anxiously. "I'll look for Seth." Adam nodded, and they split up, moving across the mess.

Adam lifted a stretch of torn canvas, exposing Erik, who was lying on his side. Kneeling down, Adam touched to fingers to the side of the redhead's throat. "Come on, buddy . . . " _Thud . . . .Thud . . . . _Pulse.

"Mel? Erik's okay! I've got him." He motioned to two medics who'd arrived, and they began loading the injured Defender onto a stretcher.

Adam stood, and looked around for Mel. She was about twenty meters away, staring at something in front of her. Frowning, he started in her direction.

She was knelt next to Seth when he reached her.

Adam swallowed hard. "He's not . . . ."

"No. He's alive." Her voice caught. "But I don't know for how long." Kara and Rion came up, looking down worriedly. Adam tilted his head in the other direction. It was best to leave Mel alone for now.


End file.
